Friday, January 7, 2011

MINCE PIES, A FORBIDDEN TREAT

In 2010 I decided that I was going to prepare my very first mincemeat for Yuletide. I planned on having a 100% British dinner and didn't want serve anything too heavy or rich as we had absolutely no desire to have bursting stomachs, feel unwell, sick and bloated...

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"Mince Pies" (also called "Minced Pies") are British mini shortcrust pies or tartlets which are filled with mincemeat and eaten during the Christmas holidays (though it seems that during the Easter festivities you can sometimes find those pies - with a cross on the top - in stores too). The origin of those petits fours can be traced back to the 13th century when European crusaders returned from their campaigns in the Middle East where they tried to recapture the Holy Land and Jerusalem. At that time the people living in those far-away regions cooked many sweet and savory meat dishes which included fruits as well as spices (they still do). During the Middle Ages our cuisine was highly influenced by the culinary prowesses of the Orient, hence it is not surprising to learn that this combination was also very popular in our hemisphere.

In Tudor England they were often called "Shrid Pies" and consisted of shredded meat, fruits, suet and spices (cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg). By 1596, they were also known under the name of "Mutton Pie" and "Christmas Pies". In the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras they were defined as "Minched pies".

"Mince Pies" have always been associated with Catholic idolatryand considered a kind of consecrated cake. During the English Civil War(1642–1651) they were banned by the Puritan (English protestants) authorities who regarded them as sinful due to the guilty, forbidden pleasures they confered. Cromwell hated Christmas which was not sanctioned by the Bible and saw it as a pagan holiday promoting gluttony and drunkennes. Nevertheless, the tradition of eating "Mince Pies" on Christmas day was perpetuated long after that sad episode and is still well-alive today. The recipe has evolved over time. It is during the 19th century that those tartlets radically changed by becoming sweeter, not containing meat anymore, being reduced in size and altered in shape (early pies were much larger, oblong in shape and supposed to represent Jesus's crib).Like all English folks my grandparents made "Mince Pies" solely in December and didn't break that old tradition. Speaking of that, here's an interesting fact for you: Cromwell's law forbidding the consumption of anything linked to gluttony (puddings and mince pies mainly) has never been rescinded, so "Mince Pies" are still illegal on Christmas Day. Hilariously ludicrous, no?That leads me to wonder why nobody ever gets rid of certain conventions and starts baking those pastries on other occasions. It is such an incredibly luscious goodie that it seems a pity to eat it only once every 12 month!

Of course, you could argue and bring up the fact that those pies carry a religious symbolism and that anything related to the birth of Christ has no reason of being produced out of that sacred moment of the year -though it must be said that their meaning is nowadays quite obsolete (most British citzens are surely incapable of explaining why they are holy) and taken a lot less seriously than at the time of their creation. That is totally ok if you are a Christian but in my opinion, if you are not a god-fearing believer then I reckon that it is not a blasphemy at all to enjoy "Mince Pies" when you feel like doing so. Not eating them more often, now that is what I would qualify as sacrilegious!

Mincemeat used as filling for "Mince Pies" is a preserve that can be stocked for a while (if one adds suet just before putting it in jars) and can be made all year long since it's components are available most of the time. So it would be awfully sad not to enjoy this delicacy whenever you feel like it.

Imagine going for a picnic in spring, organizing a potluck, a wedding or a birthday party, enjoying a divine pudding wine while admiring the stunning fall scenery or celebrating Easter... I bet you have no problem picturing yourself gobbling one of those gorgeous little pies during those events . So, I think we should declare that "Mince Pies" are too scrummy to be consumed exclusively during a restricted period of time!!!

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I was really satisfied with my "Mince Pies" as they were flawless and reminded me of those I had tasted in England. The pastry was delicately flaky, tender and baked to perfection (just ever so slightly golden) and the interior was exquisitely moist, mouthwateringly citrusy, subtly spicy and blissfully fragrant (thanks to my well-ripened mincemeat). To die for!

Method:1. Sift the flour, icing sugar and salt into a bowl, add the butter and lard. With the help of a pastry blender, work them together until the mixture fine breadcrumbs or coarse sand.2. Add the water (quantity depending on the himidity of the air) and with the help of a table knife stir until the mixture comes together and forms a pastry ball.3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very briefly until smooth.4. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 18 x 8cm rounds using a fluted (or not) cutter and re-kneading and rolling the trimmings.5. Lightly grease the cupcake tins (I made 18 little pies) with butter and line with the pastry discs, then prick lightly with a fork.6. Spoon 1-1.5 Tbsp mincemeat into each case.7. Now with the leftover patry cut out 18 x 6cm pastry rounds or 18 stars (alternative pie lids), re-rolling as necessary.8. Brush the edges of the pies with water or egg wash and press lids down onto the bases, sealing well.

9. Chill for 20 minutes.10. Preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F).11. Brush the lids with water and sprinkle with castor sugar.12. Bake for 26 minutes or until very lightly golden.13. Remove from the oven and let the mince pies cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove them delicately from the pan and place them on a wire rack.

Remarks:If you don't want to use lard, them replace it by white vegetable shortening or butter.It is possible to freeze the unbaked pies in the trays (for at least 4 hours or overnight) and then transfer the frozen pies to plastic boxes, layered with baking paper between. In that way they can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months (to cook, bake from frozen but for a few minutes longer than indicated previously).The pies can be kept for up to a week at room temperature in an airtight box.

102 comments:

Your first mince pies make it look like you've been doing this for a while, Rosa. They look delicious. Plus, I love anything with the word 'forbidden' in it (smile)!!Hope you have a happy and rewarding 2011...

Your pies look gorgeous. I have never tried mincemeat, and until reading your last post about it, I thought that it still contained meat. It sounds really delicious and I would love to try it. Very interesting history about mincemeat. Thanks for sharing it.

Hi RosaHappy 2011.I am absolutely crazy for mince pies, my mother-in-law is an absolute expert on this field. I have attempted to bake them for several times but my pastry never comes out right.Yours looks very light, I am taking your recipe along to try it next year.As always, great work ♥

Your mince meat pies are stunning! I smiled while reading this post as a mince meat pie is one of the traditional American pies that are served up as part of our Thanksgiving table. Typically, older Americans feel a connection to the tradition of this pie. You often explain to young children that there is really no meat in the pie-

I loved the history lesson that you provided-it all makes sense when I think of our traditions.

Rosa, they are so beautiful! Your crust does look absolutely perfect, light and sweet and moist and the mincemeat, well, I've never had it but boy do I want to now! I love the stories of forbidden pleasures and gluttony and I love food history like this! Great post, dear! xo

Beautiful mince pies:) they are my favorite.. i still have some left overs from christmas and have them whenever i need a little pick me up! thank you for sharing your lovely creations. have a nice day.

What an absolutely fascinating history on the old mince pie, I've never known those little details, although a few months ago I did watch the entire series of The Tudors & can imagine Cromwell would have laid down the law on something like that, it certainly was a time of great hedonistic gluttony or puritanical abstinence - what a shame the yummy little mince pies got caught in the middle.Well done with these, they look wonderful.

It always strikes me as odd that any one person or groups of persons stand on their mighty mountain making rules and regulations for all. I didn't realize any one person held the trophy of perfection.Depriving someone of anything will only make them seek it more.Hence, your probable adventure into finally wanting to make these pies?!?They do look very well made and I'm sure they're tasty as heck. LOL

The origins of food always fascinated me...thanks Rosa for telling the story so well.

Your photos are always stunning, Rosa. I know you are probably tired of reading me saying that, but I look forward to seeing what you post each time!I never knew mince pies had such history. They look like delectable little bites.

You know how crazy we foodies can be at times. I have been hunting here in B'dos for a mince-pie pan but cannot find one. Silly me, I thought that I could get one in the US (no such luck). Anyway, I have some family friends coming in the the UK in January and will ask them to bring me a couple of pans.

Given that I am cooking for a small crowd I was thinking that I am going to make one tart pan of the mince pie and cut it into squares. It will save me some time rather than making individual pies. I am definitely going to cut the top crust into star shapes though :)

Rosa you can perfectly captured the essence of Winter's beauty in your photography and this post.

I've never tried mincemeat before, but my mom has mentioned it many times. It was a holiday tradition when she was growing up. I am definitely going to try this because I know my mom would love it. I'll let you know how it turns out :D